Shrimp Egg Rolls

I have often wondered why they always include an egg roll with your Chinese meal.  I could eat at least a half dozen.  When I discovered just how easy they are to make at home, I make for dinner, lunch, appetizers, and snacks. I love shrimp egg rolls the best but you can make chicken, pork or all veggies.  That is the beauty of making them at home....add whatever you want!

Shrimp Egg Rolls

4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 -inch grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 scallions, sliced thinly
1 carrot, cut into 1-inch julienne strips
1 cup Napa cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons sesame oil
10 egg roll wrappers or 20 smaller won ton wrappers1 1/2 cups precooked peeled small shrimp 

water (to stick the egg roll together)

oil for frying

Unwrap wrappers and cover loosely with a damp paper towel so they don’t dry out.

In a heavy skillet, stir-fry the ginger and garlic in 2 tablespoons of oil for about 30 seconds.  Add scallions and carrots and stir-fry over high heat for 2 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the chicken broth, soy sauce, and sugar.  In a saucepan, add the cabbage and broth mixture and bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft. Add sesame oil, cool for at least 15 minutes, and strain off liquid.  Fold in the minced shrimp.

If using full sized egg roll wrappers, use one tablespoon of filling for each paper.  If using smaller won ton wrappers, use one teaspoon per paper. 

The way to wrap these egg rolls is to take your filling and squeeze it a little of filling, squeeze it a little in your hand until it is compressed together, and place it on the wrapper. It’s similar to the method you’d use to wrap a burrito. Just add a thin layer of water or egg to make sure it stays sealed.

In a skillet set over moderately high heat, heat the remaining oil and fry the egg rolls until golden brown on all sides, using tongs to turn them. Serve when cool enough to eat, with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce

1/3 cup lite soy sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 to 2 teaspoons sesame oil
Pinch of red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  

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Doggie Salmon And Rice Bites

I love  Dr. Harvey's Fine Ground Veg To Bowl.  This mix of healthy vegetables and herbs is wonderful for those of you who want to start feeding your fur babies a delicious healthy diet. I can't say enough good things about it ....it's affordable, it's convenient to use and so easy to make, and it's so healthy for your babies! 

You simply scoop it out and add a little hot water and your favorite oil.  You can use olive oil, canola oil...I use Omega 3 fish oil and a Vitamin B complex oil that blends in perfectly and makes it even healthier. 

Then simply add your meat. You can use beef, turkey, salmon or any other fish.  Sometimes I buy cube steaks or I often use ground beef.  I also use turkey cutlets or tenderloins or I buy ground turkey. You can make it anyway you like and then just add it to your mix. Sometimes I add some chopped apples or pears or blueberries. You can make it as delicious and healthy as you want.

Lately I have been using Dr. Harvey's fine ground Veg to Bowl to develop my own homemade recipes for my fur babies. Here's one I want to share you with you today....

Doggie Salmon And Rice Bites 

1 1/2 cups brown or white rice
1/2 cup mashed sweet potato
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups fresh cooked salmon 
1 scoop of Dr. Harvey's Fine Ground Veg-To-Bowl 
1 scoop of water for mixing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook rice and set aside to cool. Microwave sweet potato until very soft. Split and mash with unsalted melted butter until smooth. Set aside to cool. 

In a skillet melt olive oil over medium high heat and then sear the salmon on one side until lightly browned. Flip salmon over and sear on the other side and allow it to cook for about 2 minutes longer. Begin breaking up salmon with a fork into small pieces and stir while cooking. Reduce heat to medium. You want the salmon under cooked and still pink in the middle. Remove from pan and allow to cool.

Add one scoop of Dr. Harvey's pre-mix to bowl. Add just enough water to moisten. Stir and allow to sit for 3-5 minutes. 

Add salmon, rice, and pre-mix to a large bowl and using hands mix until all ingredients are well blended. 

Form into small balls and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  Serve warm or cold.

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You can buy Dr. Harvey's wonderful products online at The Dr. Harvey Store or at Amazon.com and many other online sources.  Or you can visit his site, type in your zip code and find the store nearest  you that carries Dr. Harvey's products. 

Visit Dr. Harvey's blog and Facebook page to read more about their products and how they came to be such a fantastic company! 

Blog:  https://www.drharveys.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/doctorharveys/

Disclaimer: I am not being compensated for helping spread the word about Dr. Harvey’s products, although they did make a donation to my Save A Life program. My goal is to spread the word about Dr. Harvey’s products so that pets can live a better, healthier life.  I received no additional benefits for writing this review and the opinions and ideas in this post are my own and are uninfluenced by any other person or business.

Grilled Chicken Thighs in Zesty Orange Sauce

Grilled Chicken Thighs in Zesty Orange Sauce

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2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs
½ cup soy sauce
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup orange marmalade
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablesoons olive oil
pinch of red pepper flakes
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Heat marmalade in sauce pan over low heat until liquid. Add to orange juice, garlic, soy sauce and olive oil along with the pepper flakes.  Reserve some of the marinade for later before adding chicken. Place chicken thighs in a shallow dish or in a re-sealable  plastic bag. Mix the marinade ingredients and pour over chicken. Cover and marinate at least 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Shake off excess marinade and place chicken thighs on preheated grill over medium-high heat and grill just until grill marks are visible. Lower the heat to medium and continue grilling for additional 15-20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.  

Warm Sauce in sauce pan over low heat. Brush sauce all over chicken, covering top and bottom of thighs.  Wrap in aluminum foil for about 10 minutes. Uncover and serve on a platter

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Grilled Rib Eye Steaks

Some people only want a Porterhouse or a T-bone steak. Some love a New York strip and then there are those that won't eat anything but filet mignon because they are convinced it is the most tender. But for me, the ultimate steak is the  rib eye also known as the Delmonico.  

It's the superstar of the steak world. An incredibly tender cut and known for it's extensive marbling. During cooking, that fat marbling melts and bastes the meat from within. The result is a richly-flavored juicy and tender steak! Rib eyes are flavorful enough that they don't need anything more than salt and pepper and a little garlic powder. 

Rib eyes do best when cooked on a high heat, so be sure to preheat the grill prior to cooking.  It is important to take them out of the refrigerator 35-45 minutes prior to grilling and allow them to come to room temperature on your counter.  Finally, it's important to allow your steaks to rest for five to ten minutes after cooking to allow the proteins to reabsorb the juices and the flavor within them.

How to Choose the Perfect Rib Eye

Look for bright red coloring on the meat.  It should be at least an inch thick, ideally more like an inch and a half thick. It should have abundant marbling. Good marbling should be obvious in good rib-eye steaks; the veins of fat running through the meat are a sign that the cut will deliver a rich meaty flavor. 

The fat melts into the steak, creating a buttery richness.  The proportion of the rib-eye steak is also important; when you are holding the rib-eye steak the right way up (with the widest part with the “eye” in it at the top) the top piece round the eye should be generously proportioned and there should be a decent sized defined fat nugget at the “eye” of the steak.  Most important is the amount of tenderloin surrounding the outer edge of the steak. This is the most tender part of the steak. I call it the melt in your mouth part.

Grilled Rib Eye Steaks

2-4 rib well marbled rib eyes cut 1 ½’ to 2” thick

Salt and pepper

garlic powder

olive oil 

Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature, about 30 to 45 minutes. This is important if you want them to cook evenly with no cold spots.

Heat a gas or charcoal grill to high (about 500 degrees). It is important to preheat your grill for at least 10-15 minutes to reach that temperature. Add some vegetable oil to a thickly folded paper towel or old dish towel and using tongs, oil the hot grill by rubbing the oil saturated towel across grill grates.

Meanwhile, Place steaks on a large platter and drizzle them with a little olive oil. Then generously season all sides with salt and pepper and garlic powder. When the grill is ready, place the steaks on the grates and cover the grill. Cook, undisturbed, for about 4-5 minutes. Flip steaks over, cover the grill and cook for another 4-5 minutes for medium rare.

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   To check for doneness, use an instant thermometer to register 130 degrees for medium rare.  
   
   
   Rare: 120-125°
   Med-Rare: 130-135°
   Medium: 140-145°
   Medium-Well: 150-155°
   Well Done: 160°+

Or use my tried and true hand test as follows: 

For Rare Steaks:  touch the middle of the steak with your fingers. It should have a similar feel as when you touch your cheek. It should have plenty of give and cushion. 

For Medium Steaks:  touch the middle of the steak with your fingers. It should have a similar feel as when you touch your chin. 

Well-Done Steaks:  touch the middle of the steak with your fingers. It should have a similar feel as when you touch your forehead. 

Important:  Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.  I don't tent foil because the steaks will continue to cook if you do.  Just set them aside and allow the juices to flow back into the steaks.

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